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Sunday, March 31, 2013

Happy Easter! I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday. I didn't realize Easter was so early this year, so I didn't plan anything special. I'm also new in town, so I really don't feel at home yet. It's weird, the only time I miss my old town is during the Holiday season which is normally spent with family. I still had a great day with my girls and they are stuffed with Easter goodies :)

Today I tried something a little different. I made swatches using video instead of doing still photos. I'll probably go back and take still images later, but I've been wanting to do a video for a while, so I finally jumped out there.

This is my first video ever, so please be kind. I realize now that I was way too close to the camera, LOL. I have a lot to learn, but I still think the video is okay for a first try.

Hope you enjoy the swatches. I also added in a couple of polishing techniques. They're probably a little unorthodox, but its my way of doing things. Enjoy :)

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Hello beauties! A quick post to share my nail of the day. I was in a playful mood so I tried out my new Monster High image plate. I created nail decals by using the Messy Mansion method.

For the base colors I used Sally Hansen Presto Pink and Brisk Blue. For the accent nail I used WnW White then topped it with the nail decal while wet.

Here are the steps to make the decals. If you're familiar with stamping it's pretty easy. Stamp the image and allow to dry. Then paint directly onto the stamper, allow to dry, peel off and apply to your nails. Messy Mansion has complete, more detailed, directions on her website. A helpful hint is to make sure your stamper is completely clean or the polish will transfer onto your decal.

To fill in the image I used Born Pretty's nail art brushes. If you don't have a nail art brush, you can also use a toothpick but the results won't be as precise.

I hope you enjoyed this mani as much as I enjoyed looking down at my hands today :)

Thanks to Messy Mansion for sharing this method. I see a lot more DYI decals in my future.

Monday, March 25, 2013

Hello beauties! Today I have the Zoya PixieDust Collection to share with you. The collection consists of 6 matte textured polishes that look great alone as well as with a top coat.

"This newly developed formula is sure to captivate with a magical sparkle and sugary finish like no other. The color experts at Zoya have created six, long-wearing stunners for the introduction of this look."

Chyna - lovely pomegranate textured polish with shades of deep crimson and red glitter. I'm in love with the color. Very stunning.

It reminds me of Ruby Pumps when glossy but far more interesting. It almost has a jelly look, where you can see through layers, when a top coat is applied.

Dahlia - intense graphite black sand with silver glitter throughout. It looks amazing on the nail and the glitter really pops when a top coat is applied. I used 2 coats of Dahlia.

Dahlia with 2 coats of clear to glossify. Isn't this a beauty?

London - smokey grey with silver glitter throughout. I used 2 coats to achieve this look.

London with 1 layer of top coat.

Godiva. Soft nude sparkle. It reminds me of All Hail The Queen but with more sparkle. I used 2 coats.

Godiva with 1 layer of top coat to glossify.

Nyx - bright periwinkle sand with shimmering glitter throughout. Very soft and feminine. The formula on Nyx was a little thinner than the others. I used 2 coats.

A base coat is not recommended to be used with the polish. I didn't use a base coat when I swatched them and they applied smoothly without any problems. A top coat is not recommended in order to create the Pixie Dust matte effect but I added it just for fun to see the outcome.

Overall the collection is great. Textured polishes are a nice switch from the norm and are very interesting to look at on the nail. They're not too gritty and won't snag your hair. They also look amazing glossified so it's like getting 2 polishes in 1. Plus they all have that hidden glitter shimmering effect which creates a sparkle on the nail. The brights are pretty for a soft look but for striking glamour go with the intensified black and red, Chyna and Dahlia.

The PixieDust Collection is available at Zoya.com. $8.00 each (US)

Ultra long-wearing, glossy nail lacquers by Zoya are BIG5FREE - all formulas are completely free of harmfulindustrial chemicals such as toluene, camphor, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) that are known to cause cancer and birth defects.

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Hello Beauties! Today I have the new Hard Candy "Candy Sprinkles" Collection to share with you. I initially panicked when I couldn't locate these at the first Wal-Mart I went to. But I was thrilled to find them closer to home. The set comes with 9 glitter polishes (oops 1 is not featured above), but you'll find it below. For all of the polishes, I used 1 base coat and 2 coats of the Sprinkle polish.